Spring railway-frog



(No Model.)

J. T. RICHARDSON.

SPRING RAILWAY FROG.

H. aw w A Q Patented Oct. 2, 1888.

UNITED STATES Parent Darren.

JOHN T. RICHARDSON, OF HARRISBURG, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALEXANDER H. EGE, OF MEOHANICSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPRING RAILWAY-FROG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.390.399, dated October 2, 1888.

Application filed April 17, 1888.

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. Rrcnitnjnson, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harrisburg, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Railway-Frogs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway-frogs, more particularly to that species thereof known as spring railway-frogs; and it consists in certain improvements in the construction of the same, as hereinafter shown and described.

In the construction of this style of frogs it has heretofore been considered necessary to plane or cut away the inner flange or foot of the movable rail upon the side contacting with the frog-point in order that they might lie in proper contiguity throughout the extent of the parts in contact. The result of the removal, however, ofsaid rail-flange is such that the said spring-rail is so materially weakened that frequentbreakage thereof occurs. To avoid this objectionable treatment of the spring-rail, I secure to the face thereof adja cent to the frog-point a bearing-strip of such formthatI not only retain the entirerail-flange unmutilated, but Ialso secure, in addition, an inner re-enforcement,that is both a part of the bearing-surface of the car-wheel treads and at the same time affords an easy and safe path of transitfor the false flanges ofdished treads, while further supplying a renewable adjunct that may be replaced, when worn, without removing the other parts of the frog structure from the track, thus avoiding delay in transportation and danger in transit.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a plan view of a spring-frog embodying my invention. Fig. 2 shows a similar view with spring rail moved away from frog tongue. Fig. 3is a cross section on line 00 w of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detached side view of the re-enforcement or inner bearing-strip of the movable rail.

In the drawings, B designates the fixed wingrail; 0, the tongue or frog-point, also fixed, and formed by converging sections of rail, riveted, bolted, or otherwise fastened rigidly together at any required angle; D, the movable wing-rail, to which is secured upon the Serial No. QTOJHES. (Nu model.)

By an examination of the drawings it will.

be seen that the movable wing rail D is bent outward at the point a, opposite the bend b in the fixed wing-rail B, so that when thrown to the maximum distance from the tongue of the frog the rail will be separated therefrom at a distance about double that of the fixed rail from the same; but in order to reduce the distance of separation between these two parts to the most advantageous degree, which is equal to about that interposed between the rigid wing-rail and said tongue, I insert the compensating bearing-piece A, of metal, which I shall name a movable raiire-enforcement or wheeltread bearing. This is ofalength such as the designated angle of the frog may require,

and of a cross-section about equal to the rail itself, and is so shaped and arranged that I am able to secure an unbroken bearing of such superficial dimensions as may suilice to sustain and convey safely thereover the \vheeltreads of a train moving over the main line; or, when forced away from lateral contact with the frog tongue, asshown in Fig. 2, will admitofthe passage of the wheel-flanges of an in or out going shunted train. The said wheel-tread hearing A performs the further function of strengthening the movable wingrail D, and thus remedies a vital defect that has heretofore existed in movable wing-rails, which, as hereinbefore referred to, consists in cutting away the inner foot or flange of the wing-rail. The cutting away is most excessive at a point a little in advance of the tongue extremity, and there fore the said wing-rail at this point is weakest and therefore mostliable to break at this point; but in my in vention,where I retain thefinished form of the movable wing-rail, which is in cross section substantially the same in shape as the fixed wingrail, I secure both the initial strength of the rail and at the same time augment the same to the extent of the crosssection of the re-enforcing strip A. The said re-en for-cement A is renewable, and when worn may be replaced by another. It is preferably tapered at its ends, as shown i n Figs. 1 and 2,and its upper bearing'face is made to drop slightly from a point at or near the end thereof, as

seen at m, Fig. 4, to afford an easy bearing or path for the overlapping false flanges of the wheel-treads moving over the main line that engage therewith, and which tend, when 5 abnormally developed, to jut vertically downward between the free end of said movable wing-rail D and the contiguous edge of the frog-tongue O, and thus operate to force said wing-rail away from its normal lateral contact [0 with said tongue-edge, the position required for said main-line wheel-treads. \Vhen this abnormal displacement takes place, as is well known in case of existing patterns of frog, the movable wing-rail is thrust outward more and more until the treads reach the angular extremity of the tongue 0, when they drop into the frog-throat, which results in the derailment of the train and the probable breakage of the movable wing-rail. In my device, however, the said false flange raises without jar the incline m of the re-enforcement, (the wheel-treads being supposed to be moving on main line from heel to point of frog,) and by the easy transference of the superincumbent weight onto the top surface of the re-enforcement and the wingrail to which it is rigidly secured the outward movement of both is prevented, and the wheel-treads pass undiverted from their normal right line of travel obliquely across the same in direction of the mainline prolongation of the main-line froglimb.

Springs of ordinary spiral construction may be employed to operate to hold the movable wing-rail D to close lateral contact with the frog-tongue G in the usual manner.

In a patent granted to me on the 12th day of August, 1879, No. 2l8,451 I have shown means for securing the rigid wing-rail to the frog-point, which in its main features are followed in the present invention. As in said patented construction, I employ clamping plates F, having upturned flanges c c at the ends, respectively engaging with the notched flange of the frog-point, as seen in Fig. 3, and lying outside of the fixed wing rail, the latter flange, 0, being perforated at a point about equidistant from the angle with the base to the end thereof for the reception of a binding-bolt, 50 e. A plano-convex side supporting-block, E, and a wedge, H, are interposed between the webs of the rail and the upturned flange c of the clamp.

In line with the perforations in the clamp flange c the web of the fixed wingrail B is perforated for the reception of the binding-bolt 6, while in line with and upon the vertical face of the filling-block E, interposed between the wing-rail B and the tongue 0 of the frog, are the filling-blocks 9, having formed therein depressions or rabbeted seats h, in which the nuts j rest when the binding-bolts e are in place, and are prevented thereby from revolving.

To the end of the movable wing-rail is se- 6 5 cured, to slide therewith, a plate, I, extending beneath the rails O, which form the frog-point,

and having its end turned up to form a flange, i, which engages with and grips the outer flange of the rail G when the movable rail is forced out into the position shown in Fig. 2. This plate serves by its engagement with the lower faces of the rails C to prevent the wingrailD from tilting when it is under unequal pressure.

I claim 1. The combination, with the movable wing rail of a railway-frog, of an inner lateral bearing strip or plate secured thereto, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the movable wingrail of a railway-frog of substantially uniform shape in crosssection from end to end, of the inner lateral bearing strip or plate secured thereto, substantially as described.

3. In a railway-frog, thecombination of the point, the fixed bent wing-rail B, the movable wing rail bent at a to an angle equal and 0p posite to the angle at which the wing-rail B is bent, and a bearing strip or plate secu red to the inner face of the movable wing-rail between it and the frog-point, substantially as set forth.

4. In a railway frog, the combination, with the frog-point and the movable wing-rail having a tread portion and a bottom flange opposite the point, of a re'enforcing strip or plate secured to the wing-rail opposite the point and resting in the groove between the tread and bottom flange thereof, substantially as described.

5. In a railway-frog, the combination, with the frog-point and the movable wingrail, of a wheel-tread bearing strip or plate secured to the inner side of the wing-rail adjacent to the point, having its upper face adjacent to the frog-point inclined, as at m, from the end which is situated below the wing-rail tread to a line which is in substantially the same plane as the rail-tread, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a railway-frog, the combination, with a wing-rail, B, and the frog point, of the herein described means for uniting them, consisting of the clamping-plate F,-having upturned ends respectively engaging with the point and lying outside the wing-rail, the side supporting-block between the last said upturned end of the clampingplate and the wing-rail, the filling-block between the wing-rail and the frog-point, provided with a seat, 9, adapted to receive the nut of the clamping-bolt, and the clamping-bolte, passing through the flange of the clamping-plate, the supporting-block, and the wing-rail, substantially as described.

In testimony whereofIhave signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN T. RICHARDSON.

W'itnesses:

J NO. 13. LANDIS, O. R. WoonwARn. 

